Scarlet Waves
by AshleyTheWriter
Summary: Katniss is sent back to Twelve, after the war. With Haymitch, whose death soon leaves her alone. She doesn't have Peeta, like she should, or Gale, or Prim, or even her own mother. Sent to District 2, she decides to be gone, instead of become a burden. -Rated M for adult situations, I do not own the Hunger Games, I wish I did.-


The wind whips my hair backwards, and I can feel the world start to come back to me. It's after the war. Peeta is alive, but has left me for someone else. I want nothing to do with Gale, not after he designed the bomb that killed my sister. I feel an emptiness inside, and my mind races when I think about the past few years. Haymitch, Greasy Sae, Thom, and everyone else I knew that hadcome back to Twelve are gone. I haven't spoken to Peeta in years. Sae, right before she died, told me that he married Delly, and are living in District Four, where my mother is. Mother is there to build a hospital; because, apparently, coming back to Twelve was too much pain for her to bear, but it was fine for me.

I pull my knees up to my chest, as the wind strikes my face harder, providing some kind of comfort in these lonely days. The smell of fresh grass lingers everywhere, making it possible to sit here for hours, as the day passes. I think about those nights on the train, as the moon remains above the horizon. I think of how much I miss Peeta, as a grey rabbit passes over my feet. I snort, as I remember my attempts of seductiveness in the cave.

Everyone thought I was as good as dead; because,I was so badly injured by Gale's bombs. Maybe that's why they all gave up on me. Since Peeta had an episode and ran away from the city center, he wasn't affected by the bombs, and made it out with hardly a scratch. Gale was taken by peace keepers into the safety of a concrete cell. The only question I had, was why was Prim out on the battlefield? Why was she out there in order for her life to be taken bythe bomb? I couldn't ask Coin; because, Gale shot her when he was supposed to execute Snow, which was supposed to be my job. I guess they couldn't wait forever for their Mockingjay to act by herself.

I sigh, as a light rain begins to patter around me. I collect myself, and my thoughts, and I take a stand. My legs wobble for a second, but I force them to move. I arrive at home, to no sense of comfort, only more pain.I plop myself on the couch, to examine how my burns were doing. I strip myself of all clothing. I sigh, as my arm looks worse, but everything else is getting better. As I am pulling a blanket over myself the phone rings. "Hello, Katniss?" A female voice rings out.

I groan in response. If she is calling me, she should know that I don't talk. Not since Haymitch's funeral. I gave him my blessing, and then I never said another word. "I kind of expected that," she snaps into the phone. "Anyways, I am your new therapist, Juliannes" she says, articulating every syllable. I give another groan. "Right, so, here at the Capital, we decided we should send you to live with your mother," she mumbles, as if she is doing something else. I hear typing, then she speaks again, "A train will be at Twelve tomorrow around noon, so be ready. Until then, have a goodnight, Katniss," she says, right before I hear the phone click. I set the phone down on the receiver, letting this new information sink in. I'm going to Four, where my mother is, where Peeta is.

The next thing I know, the sunlight is seeping in through the drapes. I open my eyes and take a quick glance at the clock on the floor: Ten. I sit up on the couch, stretch my arms, and yawn. I'm going to Four today. I grab a few luggage bags from the closet, and run around the house, grabbing everything that I wanted to take of my own, Prim's, and things my mother left. I leave the house around eleven thirty, and find myself sitting on a cold, wooden bench, as the train arrives. A nice lady comes out, collects my bags, and leads me to my compartment. Collapsing on the bed, I stare at the ceiling the entire way, wanting this whole thing to be a dream. Nevertheless, the train stops, the lady comes back in, collects my bags, then leads me off the train.

My mother is standing far away, stretching her neck, and scanning the crowd for any sign of me. I walk over to her, my bags dragging behind me, on their wheels. I tap her shoulder. "Katniss!" she exclaims, automatically grabbing my bags and hugging me.

"Hey." I say a little softly, but she still hears it.

"I thought they said you don't speak," she whispers pulling back, but still keeping a firm grip on my elbows. I look at her, with my mouth hanging open. "I understand," she sighs, guiding me towards town.

She takes me into a tiny house, facing the golden sand and blue water of the beach. She guides me into a tiny room, and sets my bags down. "I know, it's small," she laughs, "but it's cozy," she says, leaving me in the tiny room. I unpack, trying to make it look as much as I can like home, setting my hunting bag beside my bed, my boots, jacket, and a small box of Prim's possessions go underneath my bed, and everything else goes into my dresser. I look in my closet, which is stuffed with plain clothes tugging a white blouse and a tan mini skirt out, and pull them on, followed by my hunting boots. I walk into the kitchen, where my mother is treating a naked woman.

"Katniss, come here, help me with this." She says, motioning me over. I near the blonde laying on a cot, and recognize her instantly. It's Delly.

"Delly?" I ask, rubbing the back of my hand over her cheek softly.

"Yes, she is dying of cancer. Breast cancer, it's hereditary, and she is close to the end," my mother explains, as Delly opens her eyes.

"Katniss?" she whispers.

"Yes?" I ask, my voice quivering from the under usage.

"He still loves you," she whispers, her voice getting fainter.

"No, he doesn't," I say, as her eyes flutter shut. I put my hand to her wrist, and she has no pulse. I kiss her forehead, and then walk outside. The first thing I see are those iris blue eyes, that I couldn't mistake anywhere.

"Katniss?" he asks, knocking all the breath out of me; I nod.

"She's gone," I whisper. I then run to the beach with the sand flying up behind me, as I hear Peeta run into my mother's house. Is what Delly said true? Does he really still love me? He can't, I won't let him. I'm not going to let him lose his life to a girl who can't take a simple bath without burning her fragile skin.

I sink to my knees, and the hot sand blisters my skin. I pull my hands up to my face, and cry lightly into them. I wasn't crying for Delly, but for everyone who I had lost since the mine explosion that killed my father. I feel strong arms around me. I can't let him feel this way about me. I can't let him love me. I stop my tears, and he squeezes tighter. I feel a strange ache on my hip, and I realize that he is tightening his grip on a new patch of skin. It only takes a second before the blood seeps through the thin white blouse, and turns it red. He lets go when I yelp in pain. Staring wide eyed, at the blood sweeping through my shirt, I quickly stand.

"Mrs. Everdeen!" he shouts towards the house. I remove my shirt, leaving me in only a bra, and wrap it aroundthe broken skin. His face turns a bright red, and I roll my eyes, as I break into a run towards my new home. My mother quickly treats it, and Peeta comes in to apologize. "I'm sorry," he whispers, as I draw in a shaky breath, preparing to say the biggest thing I've said in a few years.

"You can't be feeling this for me anymore," I say, the thin blanket moving against my naked body. "I'm not going to let you. You married Delly for a reason. I'll never be able to give back to you, and you know it. I can't drag you down with me; I'm too broken to be anything more than friends with you." I finish, as I draw in another shaky breath. One second he is at the foot of my bed, the next, he is tilting my chin upwards to give me a kiss. It's deep, and something stirs inside of me. I push him away. "Peeta, no, it won't work, and you know it," I say, effectively hurting him.

As soon as my wound stops bleeding, I rush off into a nearby forest. I can't do this anymore to Peeta. It hurts me too much to know thatI could never fall back in love with him again. I find a sturdy log and pull the snakeskin cover out from underneath my skirt. This will be better for everyone, I'm too much of a burden, and maybe Peeta could find someone who deserves him.

"Are you, are you coming to the tree," I begin to softly sing, as the tears roll down my cheeks. I can't believe I am doing this. I keep reminding myself that this is better for everyone. Soon I'll join Prim, Cinna, Rue, Sae, Haymitch, Finnick, Annie, her miscarried son, Father, and everyone else I knew that I loved, and have died for me. I think of Annie, who died carrying Finnick's baby. How I sang Rue to sleep. How I watched Finnick be torn to shreds and how Cinna was beaten to death before my eyes. I think of my nightmares about mine explosions and Haymitch's dead body in a I watched my own sister become a human torch.

I sing verse after verse, my voice getting stronger. I hear Peeta in the distance calling my name. The birds start picking up my tune, and send it everywhere. These feelings are overwhelming me, and I love it. "Where I told you to run, so we would both be free," I sing, as the knife cuts deeper and deeper in my wrists. It doesn't even hurt; instead, I only feel a wave of emotions. The scarlet waves run down my wrists asI pull the knife out. "Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we meet up at midnight in the hanging tree," my voice slowly sings, tears pouring down my cheeks. The birds continue topick up my tune, and send it booming over the forest.

"Katniss!" I hear Peeta call out from my side. I am too weak to even turn my head to look at him. He kisses my forehead and then rips off his shirt. He begins bandaging my wrists, but we both know it won't help. The cuts are too deep. His face is streaming with tears and he clutches my hand. My vision becomes fuzzy as I let my eyes slowly flutter shut. "Katniss! Don't leave me," is the last thing I hear, even if it is choked with tears.

"I love you," I mouth out in weak gasps.

The world around me seems to disappear and I feel Peeta kiss me one last time, before I have no feeling in any of my limbs at, I join the group of people who I loved, and who died for me.


End file.
